


Found in Cuba

by MandolinDoodler



Series: Of the Claus family and all that could have happened [2]
Category: Arthur Christmas (2011)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe, arthur leaves, secret elf culture and traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:48:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27832549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandolinDoodler/pseuds/MandolinDoodler
Summary: For the first time in his life Arthur has an order for the elves.Movie variation where Arthur, Grandsanta, and Bryony are picked up from Cuba instead of delivering the missed present.
Series: Of the Claus family and all that could have happened [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037085
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Found in Cuba

They find the ragtag group on the shores of Cuba around the smoldering remnants of a fire and barely able to keep their eyes open.

Steve is quick to get them on the S1 lest they suddenly decide to escape and the moment Margaret catches sight of them she has them wrapped in tight hugs and concerned questions about their wellbeing. By the time the ship is up in the air, all three of the runaways have a steaming cup of cocoa in their hands.

Upon their return home, Arthur heads straight for his room where he stays for the next several days. Margaret dissuades the rest of the family from barging in to reprimand the youngest Claus or try to get him out. With time and rest, she believes he'll come out on his own so she brings him food and keeps him up to date on what's going on outside his room. He silently listens, never offering his own thoughts like he normally would.

The only other person allowed to enter his room is Bryony. She slips in at least once a day to bring him a cookie or candy cane or some other treat in hopes that he'll finally let out a smile. Her visits are never long and she always comes out a little more worried about him than before.

The rest of the North Pole watches with baited breath. Arthur, bright and happy and endlessly smiling Arthur, has holed himself away in a depressive state and all they can do is watch. This becomes even more apparent when Bryony enters the elf lounge with tears in her eyes.

Arthur has an order for them.

_ "Bryony, I need to ask you a favor." _

_ The wrapping elf perks up, eager to do whatever he asks if it helps him be happy again. _

_ "Of course! What do you need, sir?" _

_ Arthur pauses. He purses his lips and scrunches his eyes closed, his fists tightening where they rest on the bed. Then he's looking at her for the first time in a week and he looks more determined and sure than she's ever seen him. _

_ "I'm leaving," he begins and Bryony almost stops him right there as fear spikes through her heart, "and I need you to let me leave." _

_ "Arthur-" _

_ "Pass this onto the other elves. Promise that no matter what Steve does or says that you won't try to find me." And now the look in his eyes is desperate as if everything in him is holding on for her answer, pleading with her to comply or else he very well might fall apart right here and now and how could she deny him this after all that happened a week ago? _

_ "I-," but it hurts. She can't just let this happen without, "-promise me something." She has to take a breath to gather her racing thoughts. "Promise that you'll always tell me where you are. I won't tell anyone else and I can get the other elves to refuse any investigations or searches, but I want to know where you are. Just in case." _

This isn't the first Claus they've said goodbye to, nor is it the first time they'll have helped one leave the North Pole. But that doesn't make it easier as they set up a ride to the nearest town or put together provisions they've stashed away for just this purpose. It doesn't mean their hearts aren't twisting at the thought of Arthur abandoning his home when they were so sure he'd be the one Claus to stay.

They manage to bide him a couple days once he's gone. A couple days to get as far away as possible, to get out of range of Steve's gadgets, and to come back as if he never left if he changes his mind.

It's Steve that discovers his empty room with a neat stack of letters on the desk addressed for his family. Bryony is the only witness as the young Santa collapses to his knees with silent tears staining his face, the letter with his name neatly written on the front clutched in his shaking hands. She refuses to answer his following questions, instead staring defiantly up at him, her hands clenched at her sides as she holds back all her thoughts on the matter and how he is part to blame and how Arthur would still be here if they just  _ weren't so stubborn and  _ **_listened_ ** .

Fed up with her silence, Steve makes a break to the command center shouting orders to the elves on duty: pull up security footage of the east wing for the past 48 hours, scan the surrounding drifts for Arthur's bright red jacket, call the nearest towns about any mysterious figures showing up,  _ why _ are none of you moving!?

True to their word the elves refuse to help search for the youngest Claus. They ignore every command and interfere whenever Steve takes control of the computers, change passwords when needed, and encrypt any files they think necessary and doing this however many times it takes in the next few weeks to keep Steve from catching Arthur's trail. He eventually gets through all their defenses -he didn't just buy all their gadgets off the internet, they were his creations, after all, he’s a smart cookie- but by the time he finds the footage of his brother leaving and tracks his journey to a little village by the sea and his boat ride to the next country, Arthur is still several steps ahead of him. 

It’s many months before Arthur can finally disappear from Steve’s radar, but the elder Claus isn’t going to stop until he finds his younger brother.

He’ll never know that a certain elf receives a letter every month disclosing Arthur’s whereabouts.

**Author's Note:**

> The mood has struck me this season so I'm trying to knock out some of these stray Arthur Christmas notes and drabbles I have on my computer. For the sake of convenience (and populating this fandom), I'm throwing them in one collection instead of posting them inside "New Start" like I had originally planned. Check out that story if you want another take on Arthur leaving the North Pole instead of becoming the next Santa!


End file.
